


Keeping Secrets

by Jld71



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Christmas, Gen, Presents, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 22:16:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13257726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jld71/pseuds/Jld71
Summary: Dean’s making something special for Sam for Christmas





	Keeping Secrets

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dizzojay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dizzojay/gifts).



> Crowley’s Christmas Fic Exchange 2017
> 
> Giftee: dizzojay  
> Gifter: jdl71  
> Beta’d by: gatorgurl94  
> Rating: Gen
> 
> Written for the prompt: Dean’s making something special for Sam for Christmas – what is it? Whatever it is, it’s a secret, one that’s not easy to keep when you’re both holed up in the bunker.

Keeping Secrets

 

“Dean?” Sam calls out, wondering where his brother is. It’s not like there’s that many places in the bunker to hide out. He cocks his head and listens, hoping to hear Dean. “Dean!” He calls out again. No answer so he decides to go searching for his brother. He checks the kitchen only to find a half drunk bottle of beer on the counter. He picks it up and sees the condensation ring marking its place. It’s still cold so it hasn’t been sitting out long, he thinks to himself as he puts it back down. It’s odd because it’s not like Dean to just leave his beer. He walks into the library, only to find it’s empty. His search takes him to Dean’s room. He knocks and waits for a response that doesn’t come. Grabbing the handle he turns it, the door is unlocked and he pushes the door open to find Dean sitting at the desk in his room.

“Dude, I’ve been looking for you. Why didn’t you answer when I called?” Sam asks, irritation coming out in his voice. 

Dean moves some papers around on the desk, covering up whatever he was doing before turning to face Sam. He gets up and places a hand on Sam’s chest, trying to push him out of his room. “Dude, a little privacy!” He grits out, pushing at Sam again.

Sam tries to look over his shoulder, only for Dean to shift his weight, blocking him from looking further. “Dean, come on, man.”

“Sam, just back off. I didn’t answer you because I’m not in the mood for company, talking, feelings or whatever else you have on your mind.” Dean says, hoping to get Sam out of his room so he can continue working on what he’s been doing.

Sam shoots him a hurt look but backs out of the room. “Fine!” He yells at Dean before stomping down the hall and away from Dean.

Dean quietly closes the door, leans against it and whispers ‘sorry, Sam,’ before returning back to the desk. He resumes his work, picking up where he left off and losing himself in what he’d been doing. An hour passes before he stops. He’s tired but satisfied with what he’s managed to accomplish. He packs everything up and puts it in one of the drawers. He turns to leave, to find Sam but stops. He looks over at the desk and thinks about what he’s hidden there. He smiles to himself and walks back, opens the drawer and pulls it back out. He needs to find a better place to hide this. He knows his brother, he’s inquisitive. Sam knows he’s up to something and won’t stop until he figures it out. So, he has to think like Sam, be one step ahead of him. He figures out another place to hide it and walks out of his room, a sly smile playing on his lips.

Dean takes a detour to the bunker’s dungeon, opens the door and looks around. There’s a trunk in the corner where the spelled chains are kept. It’s not perfect but it will have to do for now. He opens the trunk, gently places the item in it, closes and latches the trunks’ lid like he’d never even been in the room. He flips the light switch off and closes the door before walking to the kitchen to find Sam.

“Sammy!” Dean calls out. He chuckles when there’s no answer. Sam’s probably off in his room pouting. He sees his bottle of beer still sitting where he left it and picks it up, taking a swig. His lips turn into a grimace at the taste of warm beer. He pours the remaining beer down the drain and chides himself for wasting perfectly good alcohol. He tosses the bottle in the trash before leaving to wander to Sam’s room. Sam’s bedroom door is open but there’s no sign of Sam in his own room. 

Dean smiles and shakes his head. Sam, you’re so obvious, he thinks to himself as he walks away. He stands outside his bedroom door, hearing movement from inside. Really, Sam, ever hear of curiosity killed the cat?, Dean thinks to himself. He pushes the door open to see Sam searching through the desk drawers and clears his throat. He watches as Sam stiffens and drops what’s in his hands.

“Sam, if you wanted to borrow my copy of Busty Asian Women, all you had to do was ask.” He says and watches Sam turn three shades of red. He leans himself against the door frame, crosses his ankles and his arms over his chest. A smirk plays across his lips and his green eyes dance with amusement. Sam forces himself to stand up and turn to look at Dean. He knows he’s been caught going through his brother’s things. He knows he should feel ashamed and apologize but he’s angry at Dean. Dean’s keeping a secret from him and he wants to know what it is. He needs to know because they’ve promised each other that there would be no more secrets between them. 

“Ha, ha, Dean very funny.” Sam says at he looks at his brother, defiance flashing in his hazel eyes.

“Did you lose something, Sammy? In my room?” Dean asks casually.

Sam points a finger at him. “You’re up to something. You’re hiding something and I’m going to figure it out.” Sam says as he pushes past Dean to get out of Dean’s bedroom. 

“Good luck with that.” Dean calls after him Dean looks over at the desk, happy that he had thought better of leaving the item there. It would have ruined everything if Sam found it. He walks to the desk and straightens up the papers before leaving his room. His stomach is growling and he needs food so he can get back to working on his little project. 

He enters the kitchen to find Sam standing against the counter, sipping a beer. “You hungry?” Dean asks as if nothing had just happened a few minutes ago. 

Sam looks at him, glares at him before answering. “No.” He says, trying to bite back yelling at Dean. Sam knows that won’t get him anything. Dean will only dig his heels in further, keeping whatever it is he’s up to, to himself. That’s what infuriates Sam the most, how cool Dean can be when he knows he’s upsetting his brother. Sam drinks the last of his beer, tosses the bottle away before turning to look at Dean, giving him one more chance to tell him what he’s up to. When Dean says nothing, Sam breaks the silence. “I’m going to bed.” He says and walks out of the room. He hears Dean’s voice call to him ‘night, Sam,’ as he closes his bedroom door.

The cocky smile slips from Dean’s face. He knows he just hurt his brother and he hates it. Hates himself for doing it but Sam will understand in the end, he tells himself hoping to justify to himself the secret he’s keeping. He dismisses the thoughts and makes himself a sandwich. He quickly eats it before going back to the dungeon to retrieve his project. He makes his way back to his room, unseen and settles in for the night. He sits at the desk, puts down the item and begins to work on it again. Hours pass without him noticing but he’s finally done. He looks over the item and smiles. When Sam sees this he’ll understand why Dean kept it a secret. He wraps it up and hides it under a few things in the footlocker at the end of his bed. He settles back against his pillow and is asleep within moments of his body relaxing against the mattress. 

The knock on his door wakes him and he groans. “Yeah?” He calls out and watches as the door to his bedroom opens. Sam is standing there, looking down at him. Dean scrubs his hands over his face trying to wipe away the exhaustion he feels from lack of sleep. He forces himself into a sitting position and waits for Sam to say something to him.

“Coffee?” Sam asks. He looks at Dean, a hurt expression on his face but says nothing else. If Dean wants to keep his secret, then let him. 

“Sounds good. Be there in a minute.” Dean says to break the silence and growing tension between them. He watches as Sam leaves his room, closing the door behind. Dean tosses aside the bed covers and drags himself to the bathroom. He splashes himself with cold water before washing up and slipping into clean clothes. He shuffles over to the footlocker and opens it, moving things aside to get to the item he needs before closing the lid. He walks down the hall to join Sam in the kitchen, the smell of coffee wafting in the air.

He eyes a cup of coffee on the table and sees the Sam is sipping his own and eating his breakfast. He picks up the cup, noticing the Sam doesn’t look up at him, keeping his eyes staring straight ahead. “Morning, Sam.” Dean says. 

At first Sam doesn’t respond and he can feel irritation rising in himself at that. Dean closes his eyes and counts to ten, reminding himself that Sam thinks he’s hiding something. And the truth is, he was. 

“Morning.” Sam finally says, still not looking at him. 

Dean pulls out a chair and sits down. He drinks his coffee before saying anything else. “Alright, I was up to something, keeping something from you.” Dean finally admits and he watches as Sam’s head snaps up and he finally looks at Dean.

Sam slams down a fist on the table. “I knew it! We promised no more secrets.” Sam yells at him, only to be stopped as Dean holds up his hand. 

Den puts the item he’s been hiding on the table and slides it over to Sam. “Merry Christmas, Sammy.” Dean says hoping that once Sam opens the present he’ll understand his reasons for the secretiveness. 

Sam eyes the present and then looks up at Dean in confusion. Wasn’t Dean just apologizing? Now he’s wishing him a Merry Christmas and giving him a present? He reaches out and takes the present, turning it over in his hands. It’s square shaped and slightly heavy. He looks at it, trying to figure it out before finally opening it. He rips the paper off and discards it to reveal a book. He looks at Dean again, not registering what he’s holding. He places it on the table and opens it, flipping through the pages as his chest tightens and his throat closes, only allowing him to make a hissing sound. It’s a scrapbook of his life; pictures of Mary and John. Then pictures him and Dean. He flips to another page to find a few pictures of Jesse and his friends from Stanford. Another page reveals pictures of Ash, Jo and Ellen. He turns to another page to find pictures of Rufus, Bobby and Cas. He smiles at seeing them; pictures of their loved ones and wipes away a tear that he’s realized has fallen onto the page. He flips to another page and is laughs at finding a few of his old report cards and a few of his tests from different grades he’d brought home to show their father. The last page is was shocks him, his acceptance letter to Stanford. The letter that had caused a riff in their family; the one he thought he’d thrown away. 

He looks up at Dean and sees the smile on his brother’s face. The one that conveys Dean’s love and pride for him. “I thought I threw this out.” Sam says in a voice that cracks with emotion he’s trying to control.

“I saved it for you. All of it.” Dean says and looks away from his brother. “I wanted it to be a surprise for you, that’s what I was keeping from you.” 

Sam is lost for words, for once in his life. There’s nothing he can say to thank his brother for this gift. A gift Dean made for him out of love. He’s amazed at it, at Dean; how he managed to save all of this, thinking it was important to Sam. Because it is; it’s his life, the good and the bad and Dean kept it all for him. 

“Thank you, Dean.” Sam says and he know it’s never going to cover what he’s feeling or what he really wants to say but he also knows it’s enough.

“Merry Christmas, little brother.”


End file.
